Weather experts warn of ‘Iberian oven’ record temperatures in Spain next week

AEMET, the State Meteorological Agency, has warned of a “historic episode” in Spain next week with record temperatures of 35°C predicted to creat an ‘Iberian oven’.

According to AEMET, the State Meteorological Agency, April 2023 could go down in history as the hottest April ever recorded in Spain. Starting next week, Spain will experience an ‘unusual’ episode with high temperatures and masses of ‘very warm air throughout the mainland’.

Thermometers may reach 35°C in some parts of southern Spain. As explained by Meteored this Thursday, April 20, the Guadalquivir Valley could reach a historic 38°C this month.

Meteored weather expert Samuel Biener tweeted: “After this week’s downpours, starting Monday the heat could be record-breaking. Will we reach 40 ºC in #España in April, @samuel_biener?”.

Tras los chaparrones de esta semana, a partir del lunes el calor podría ser de récord 🔥. ¿Llegaremos a los 40 ºC en #España en abril 😶, @samuel_biener? https://t.co/UQU3GjENgv

— Meteored | tiempo.com (@MeteoredES) April 18, 2023

This burst of extremely hot weather will only come after a weekend of rain and storms on Friday 21 and Saturday 22. The rainfall will be ‘neither abundant nor persistent’, but will be enough for a ‘significant drop in temperature”  to be noticed, AEMET detailed.

The weather experts suggested that the ‘unusually high temperatures’ expected next week could make this April: “one of the driest in the historical series, if not the driest”. They will bring values better associated with ‘the end of June’ they added.

Meteored explained that a very unique scenario would be experienced from Monday 24 onwards. A very warm air mass linked to an anticyclonic ridge will advance over the Spanish mainland and the islands, pushed by an extensive area of low pressure that will be located northwest of the Azores.

Copernicus, the European satellite system, explained that last year’s unprecedented extreme heat led to widespread droughts that marked the European climate. They predicted that such extreme events will become increasingly abundant and intense during 2023.

Data show that 2022 was the second hottest year ever in Europe and the highest temperatures occurred along the Mediterranean coast. In its report on the state of the European climate for 2022, Copernicus stressed that the year was also the driest to date with a spring devoid of rainfall.

During the summer, Spain was among the three driest countries in Europe along with Germany and the United Kingdom, and, if the situation persists, it could maintain its position during 2023.

According to the forecast of the Meteored experts, if the forecast is fulfilled, Spain faces an exceptional event. The model they use predicted that in the Guadalquivir Valley, they could be close to 38ºC locally by the middle of next week. Meanwhile, other central and southern capitals could reach 35ºC, and on the Cantabrian coast, above 30ºC.

The heat peak is forecast to occur between Wednesday 26 and Friday 28. One of the most striking absolute records for the month of April in Spain is the 38ºC registered in Fuerteventura in 1980.

Already in the month of March, temperatures exceeded 37ºC in some observatories on the islands. On the mainland, the highest historical values ​​were found on the Mediterranean coast and Andalucia, with the maximum being 37.4 ºC, recorded at the Murcia observatory on April 9, 2011.

If some of next week’s weather predictions come true, the highest temperature measured in the month of April in mainland Spain could be recorded. It seems very highly likely that record summer values ​​will be recorded in large areas of Spain, as reported by 20minutos.es.